Suffern: Abato beats Keegan in primary

Wargo wins battle for Haverstraw highway chief

Sep. 17, 2013

Written by

and Laura Incalcaterra

After a highly contentious primary season, voters in Rockland had their say Tuesday.

In Suffern, Trustee Patricia “Trish” Abato came one step closer to becoming the village’s first new mayor since 2009 after beating back a Democratic primary challenge from John Keegan, according to unofficial results.

“I’m very excited to represent the Democratic Party in the general election,” Abato said Tuesday night. “I’m very honored to be their candidate.”

Abato, 49, said she was out in the village all day Tuesday and received many positive comments from voters.

“It was just an overall amazing experience,” Abato said. “The support was overwhelming, and people were so receptive.”

Abato touted village finances under her watch, including the last two budgets that stayed under the 2 percent state tax cap. She said she intended to continue the practice by making government more efficient, in part by continuing to seek grants.

She also wants to block development at the former Tilcon quarry and use the site to pursue a flood-control project.

Keegan, 64, a former village mayor, said he wanted to expand the village’s commercial base to reduce homeowners’ tax bills and to improve existing infrastructure, including making roads safer.

In the general election, Abato will face Keegan on the Working Families line and James Giannettino on Republican and Independence lines.

The two-year mayor’s post pays $30,000 annually.

In a particularly heated Democratic primary in Haverstraw town, George Wargo, 61, beat challenger John Piperato, 62, in his bid to become the town’s next superintendent of highways.

Wargo will face David Barbera, who is running on Republican and Conservative lines, and Piperato, who holds the Working Families party line in November. Barbera ran for the Independence primary, but a write-in candidate appeared to have won the line.